STG Investigative Report : The Odd Couple
by LogicalPremise
Summary: An STG report about the Odd Couple, Kai Leng and Theodore Pellham. Timeframe is the beginning of ME2. Covers tactics, history, weapons, and things you didn't know.
1. Chapter 1

**-STG – STG – STG-**

 _STG Report on the Odd Couple :_

Senior Agent Vinaris to the STG Master

As requested, I've put together an initial briefing document covering everything we currently know regarding the Odd Couple. The name is somewhat obscure, apparently sourcing from some human pre-spaceflight audio-video entertainment show the Illusive Man was fond of. (The Illusive Man has a penchant for naming things after both human mythology and popular culture, apparently – something the Systems Alliance has also shown an affectation for. Baffling.)

As with all reports, by necessity, this document is not all inclusive with details, but instead provides high-order information that can be queried in depth at a later time. Much of the information was gathered via second-hand reporting (see cautions below) and cannot be rated at 100% accuracy. Furthermore, at least Kai Leng is well trained in both counter-infiltration and espionage, and details of his current thought processes and psychology are conjectural at best.

This file is classified Virshan-Orange. This is the nine hundred and seventh Orange Section file since the origination of the first Special Task Order given by Dalatrass Shiron herself.

* * *

 **Caution : Read FIRST:**

All information on both Kai Leng and Theodore Pellham is based on four sources: existing military records, eye-witness accounts, extranet information, and accumulated scans and examinations. Under no circumstances can this file be assumed complete, and as always assume that this file is a baseline of their abilities, not a comprehensive coverage.

While there are certainly other, more powerful figures in the galactic intelligence/espionage scene, very few have been active the twenty-plus years these two have. Keep in mind they were both part of the N7 team that rescued the Turian Primarch, have fought off asari war priestesses, and survived direct combat with P., Tazzik and even Tetrimus. They have far more experience than any STG agent at both direct and indirect combat and are distressingly quick to resort to the most appalling levels of violence.

They have both been instrumental in the deaths of multiple STG agents and should ALWAYS be considered extremely hostile singly. Together, per standing order 9954-thurta-eight, STG units engaging both Kai Leng and Theo Pellham are to flee on sight and request immediate orbital bombardment, either with mass accelerator fire or nerve agents. (Preferably both.)

* * *

 **-STG – STG – STG-**

 **KAI ALLARD LENG**

* * *

 **Overview:**

 _Formal Titles_ : Marine Lieutenant Colonel Kai Allard Leng, Knight of the Order of the Knights of Sol

 _Nicknames_ : The Black Wind

 _Race_ : Cybernetic human

 _Age and sex_ : 47, male

 _Wealth:_ Reasonably well off. Owns private abode on Bekenstein in Raptor Mountains and extensive apartments in Shanghai Arcology. Estimated value of private sword collection at two million credits.

 _Psychological Summary_ : Falls into the Intense-Suppressed quadrant of secretive personalities. Prizes secrets and delights in misleading others due to distrust. Extremely anti-social. Emotionally suppressed by conscious choice, known issues with intimacy with women. No pathologies, but possible sociopathic tendencies.

 _Military Summary_ : N7 pre-Mindoir Reforms Close Quarters Combat Specialist. Q6 Jump Assisted armor pilot, M4 Honor Guard, and Z4 Guard of Iron ratings also achieved. Extremely high skills in all forms of unarmed, thrown, and melee combat. Capable of sparring with and matching the sword work of most war priestesses. Skilled with mid-range assault combat, known skills with poisons, explosives, encryption / communications systems, and field first aid. Awarded the Star of Sol and multiple other awards for gallantry and bravery.

 _Education:_ Standard Alliance officer training. Master's Degree in Encryption and Mathematics from the University of Arcturus (Online). Extensive training and course work in human psychology. Rated Grandmaster of the Blade by Sol Fencing/Kenjustu League.

 _Employment_ : Systems Alliance Military (former) , currently employed by Cerberus.

 _Significant Family_ : Jhal Leng (only child, offspring with Kahlee Sanders). All other known family dead.

 _Overall Threat Rating:_ Black-Collapse Four

* * *

 **Historical Notes:**

By all reports, Kai Allard Leng was born to lower-class parents on Earth. His early historical records are surprisingly difficult to confirm, but it would appear both Leng's father and mother were enlisted in the SA military. Leng was thus often raised by other relatives or friends. The father, in particular, was a senior soldier reporting to Admiral Grissom. At some point in his early years, Kai took on an affectation of swords due to one of his relatives being a sword master, and learned some of the art from him.

The brutal murder of his parents by suspected anti-Systems Alliance rebels when he was 15 coincided a year later with the death of his aunt and several other relatives in the Shanghai Riots. This is believed to have soured and blackened his outlook on life to a large degree. Smoke inhalation also damaged his throat and his voice was reduced to little more than a rapsy whisper. He was forced to endure a period of privation and living on the streets, and while Leng entered into secondary education, he was unhappy with his life and sought out adventure. At some point prior to enlisting into the human military, he became extremely cynical.

Leng entered the military at 16 by lying about his age, then pushed himself to be the best. Little detail can be ascertained from this military record (see subfile 493-Leng-A for military career notes.) He was involved for seven years with the daughter of Admiral Grissom, Kahlee Sanders. Shortly after the birth of their child and the mission to rescue the Primarch, the two had a severe falling out that ended up in violence.

It is still not known what caused this, but Leng fled with his son and began doing various mercenary jobs. Shortly afterwards, he was approached (along with Theo Pellham) by General Rachel Florez, and entered the service of Cerberus.

We know that both Kai and Pel had contact with Cerberus elements or personnel who would later become Cerberus (namely , the Illusive Man and General Petrovsky) as far back as Shanxi. Kai's own severe dislike of turians and aliens in general contributed to his joining the group.

* * *

 **Motivations:**

Kai Leng's primary motivation appears to be the murder of any living thing that irritates or annoys him. He does not fight for money, for power, or for ideals. He fights because he enjoys killing, plain and simple. He does not value life, and has a very low opinion of most beings. He has been captured in recordings as stating that the purpose of life is merely to determine when it is the best time for it to stop, a somewhat esoteric and extremely nihilistic viewpoint.

His secondary motivation is simply to ensure that his son is allowed to thrive and prosper.

Kai Leng does not embrace philosophy and has no use for 'higher causes'.

* * *

 **Organizations and Affiliations:**

Kai Leng was inducted into Cerberus early on and is well known as one of its most lethal infiltrators and assassins. Prior to this he taught CQB and battle infiltration for the Alliance as well as commanding a field unit of early-stage Furies. He personally trained several of the most skilled Furies on combat tactics.

Leng competed professionally during his Alliance career in both martial arts tournaments and sword tournaments. While no records of the former remain, his records in the latter (thirty five duels) were all won with not a single loss or technical disqualification.

* * *

 **Tactics:**

Kai Leng is the most aggressive combatant STG has ever surveyed. His primary attack methods are not only designed to kill but to leave the target with no capability to retaliate if the killing strike is not successful. His use of a monomolecular sword enhances this danger. He strikes without warning, he does not allow targets to counter attack, he is delighted by blood and pain and becomes more inventive and violent the more he is challenged. More than one STG agent has broken from the sound of the man's almost silent, whispery laughter.

Kai Leng's armament consists of a plasma-forged sword with an energized monomolecular edge known as Silence. This blade has been shown capable of penetration upwards of four centimeters of heavy ceramic personal armor with no resistance. The handle of the blade contains a detachable flashbang/smoke grenade. The weapon should never be underestimated, as Leng has killed literally hundreds of people with this weapon alone.

Leng also utilizes throwing knives, some with explosives in the hilt, others dipped in various contact poisons, and two with mass-effect contained slugs of astatine in stasis. (This is not a typo, although certifiably insane. There are no safe handling procedures or instructions for even viewing astatine. If there were, it would just be the word "NO" scrawled over and over in charred blood.) He also uses a variety of grenades and a heavily modified turian Phaeston rifle converted into a marksman rifle.

Leng uses a photonic cloak device with a duration of sixteen seconds, and wears multi-layered thinshell ceramic battle armor with spidersilk. His eyes and the tissue around them were damaged in the defense of the Primarch so he wears an obscuring cybernetic mask over them, the mask has various viewing modes.

 _Specific Tactical Methods, Ground Combat:_

Long range: has a tendency to engage in sniping with headshots if possible. If not, will use cloak and cover to close to medium range. Be advised that detection of him at long ranges is extremely difficult.

Medium range: Unless detected, Leng prefers not to fight at medium range. While he is proficient with his rifle, it is not his primary tool outside of sniping. If detected he will cloak his movement with smoke grenades and use cover and cloaking to continue to close range.

Short range: upon reaching short range, if undiscovered, Leng will perform a single highspeed head strike form stealth. The chances of anything aside from a krogan surviving such is almost nil. Against heavily armored targets or targets in light vehicles, Leng will use explosives to disable and destroy such protection and possibly kill the target. Against krogan Leng will utilize the knives with astatine explosives and immediately clear the area.

If discovered and forced into CQB Leng will attempt to go for disabling blows before attempting any kill strike.

Warning Advisory: Leng is EXTREMELY skilled at stealth and infiltration, and the likelihood of detecting him prior to the initial strike is almost zero. His armor renders him difficult or impossible to see via magnetic resonance, electrical discharge or heat, his shoes are kinetically isolated, and his command of terrain is outstanding. In combination with Theo Pellham, who is excellent at pressure tactics at mid-range and long-range, there is little even a full STG team can do to avoid being destroyed.

Per standing order 9954-thurta-seven, STG units engaging Kai Leng are to flee on sight and request Shieldbreaker assistance.

* * *

 **Physical Abilities:**

Kai Leng possesses cybernetic legs, each of which is anchored into support rods in his pelvis and spine. The legs are made of myomer and carbon-fiber, with titanium 'bones', and each one contains a pulse-disruptor, making him somewhat resistant to most restraint-type biotics (but not warps or physics attacks). Each leg is gyroscopically adjusted for maximum balance as well.

Leng is an N7-level soldier who despite his age stays in top physical shape. While his strength is purely normal his speed on foot and reflexes are highly superior, near salarian level. His cybernetic eye upgrades provide him with complete spectral imaging, low-light and UV vision and flashbang resistance.

Kai Leng is a formidable martial artist and swordsman. He knows at least a dozen forms of both unarmed and armed martial arts, and is a practitioner of iajutsu, or drawing and striking with a sword in a single blow. He has demonstrated the ability to kill with his bare hands, with knives, swords, guns, poisons and explosives.

Based on his training records, Leng is also an exceptionally talented battlesuit pilot. While he has not utilized such since his departure from the Alliance to our knowledge that does not mean he has not used simulators to keep his skills sharp.

* * *

 **Mental and Psychological Notes:**

Leng's IQ per his Alliance records was 139, high in human terms. He is a linear, direct thinker, fully capable of internalizing both emotions and reactions to complete a goal or series of goals. A consummate professional, Leng is known to regularly engage in meditation (both halting and waking) to ensure his control does not slip. His emotional control is great enough that even when the life of his son was threatened he did not show any anger or fear.

That is not to say he is emotionless. When enraged, his viciousness and willing to sadistically wound enemies instead of cleanly killing them rises.

Leng is not strategic, and his tactical thinking tends towards elimination/capture and not other scenarios. When faced with unfamiliar tactics or situations he has the propensity to drop back, hide, and attempt to kill leaders or scouts to sow confusion.

Leng is neither trained nor interested in xenopsychology, and has a stated antipathy for turians. He tolerates but dislikes asari with the notable exception of asari blade mistresses, and hates most other aliens aside from batarians (who he seems to both admire and disdain) and some salarians. He has been recorded expressing admiration of some salarian goals. Unlike most of Cerberus he does not see humanity as superior, he sees everything as inferior to a handful of 'superior individuals' of which he is one.

Leng does not typically display fear or terror responses even when facing certain death, but will readily retreat and fall back if overmatched.

Psychologically, Leng appears very complex. Whatever damage was done to his psyche in his youth has manifested in pure murderous rage, tightly channeled and utilized to specific targets of his choosing. Leng shows absolutely no softness or gentleness with anyone but his son, and displays a disdain and even hatred for life that would be considered psychopathic if it was not so well controlled.

He is polite but also dismissive, highly sarcastic or menacing, and does not appear to have a sense of humor. (As an aside, monitoring him from long range is distressingly nerve wracking and two of the operatives attempting to do so were killed before we even know he was aware.)

Leng has no real opinion on politics and prefers not to bother thinking about such trivialities. He is of the opinion that he is a weapon, and that weapons do not question the motives of their wielders.

Leng would be considered attractive by most humans (and asari) but has not engaged in any form of relationship of a romantic nature since he left Kahlee Sanders. Leng (and Cerberus in general) have been careful to not place him in situations where he might run into Sanders. Aside from his sword-collecting hobby and dealing with his son, Leng leads a remarkably empty life by choice.

* * *

 **Political and Social Notes:**

Given that he faked his own death, Leng has no input into the politics of the Systems Alliance. If forced to identify his beliefs he would probably proclaim survival of the fittest and neo-anarchy.

Leng does not, with the exception of the Illusive Man, respect authority, even if he is respectful to authority figures. In his mind no one can lead until they can convince someone to follow them, and those who lead without such imprimatur is an impostor.

* * *

 **Warnings:**

The following advisories are considered mandatory reading.

 **Close Range and melee combat is strictly contraindicated.**

* * *

 **-STG – STG – STG-**

 **THEODORE ALFRED PELLHAM, JR**

* * *

 **Overview:**

 _Formal Titles_ : Marine Captain Theodor Pellham, Senior Squire of the Order of the Knights of Sol

 _Nicknames_ : The Black Hammer

 _Race_ : Full conversion cyborg human

 _Age and sex_ : 48, male

 _Wealth:_ Very well off. Three homes on Earth (Seattle, Vancouver, Isle of Perth) and multiple apartments in several locations. Wealth is not in one account (or identity) but estimated at four to six million credits in cash and four more in investments.

 _Psychological Summary_ : Falls into the Affable-Hateful quadrant of destructive personalities. Places the highest value on living well, showing peers personal strength, and defying expectation. Takes pleasure in pain and suffering of others who he feels deserve it. No pathologies, but very possible sociopathic tendencies.

 _Military Summary_ : N7 pre-Mindoir Reforms Assault Specialist. A7 Infantry, D5 Bomb Disposal, L7 Engineering Support (ELC/HVAC) and O4 Combat Engineer.

 _Education:_ Standard Alliance officer training (low marks). No other formal education. Multiple technical school certifications. Demonstrated skills at engineering (both engine and combat style).

 _Employment_ : Systems Alliance Military (former) , currently employed by Cerberus.

 _Significant Family_ : Two brothers, one aunt, and at least twenty illegitimate children. Four grand children. Family is aware he did not actually die and keep in loose contact with him via proxies.

 _Overall Threat Rating:_ Black-Collapse Two

* * *

 **Historical Notes:**

Unlike his partner, Theo Pellham group up in a large, supportive family that was tangentially connected to several important or noble families as servants and bodyguards, including the Grissoms. His life took a turn for the worse when his father was killed in one of the many uprising of resistance groups on Earth opposed to the Manswells, and Theo thereafter felt nothing but disdain and hatred for those who were, in his eyes, traitors.

Pellham's history becomes very murky up until he is associated with Kahlee Sanders, participating in the first N7 special forces trials that ended in such spectacular failure. Assigned to N7 duty, he made a name for himself in demoltions, heavy assault, and surprisingly, turian diplomacy. After the Primarch incident, he faked his death along with Kai Leng and joined Cerberus.

We know that both Kai and Pel had contact with Cerberus elements or personnel who would later become Cerberus (namely , the Illusive Man and General Petrovsky) as far back as Shanxi. Pellham dislikes asari, salarians and batarians, and thus joining Cerberus was probably not difficult.

* * *

 **Motivations:**

Theo Pellham's primary motivation is greed and ego. He wishes to be wealthy, influential, and seen with both respect and fear. Despite his staggeringly high intellectual potential he is extremely psychologically shallow in this regard.

We have not identified any other driving motivations. Pel disdains politics but can follow them, dislikes the very concepts of morals yet has his own code he will not violate, and claims utter and total amorality yet does not tolerate acts of true sadism upon the weak. Unlike Kai Leng he does not value or appreciate strength in others.

* * *

 **Organizations and Affiliations:**

Theo Pellham was a top-notch assault soldier with a feared reputation among both Alliance Marines and turians soldiers. His surprising ability to perform low-level to mid-level diplomacy with turians aside, he did not participate in many other SA programs prior to entering service with Cerberus.

* * *

 **Tactics:**

Theo Pellham is aggressive, fond of heavy ordinance and high explosives, and an extremely skilled marksman. He truly enjoys combat and does not confine himself to predictable styles, but has shown favoritism for traps, ambushes, and other methods by which he can utilize anti-tank, anti-ship and other completely inappropriate weapons on infantry units or even unarmored targets.

His primary armament is, like Kai Leng, a heavily customized turian Phaeston rifle converted to a heavy marksman rifle, and a custom built Sabre battle rifle converted to explosive rounds. He also utilizes grenades, various det-cord devices, and is fond of turian lance cannons. He is known to use on some occasions elcor heavy missile launchers and super-heavy elcor anti-tank recoilless rifles.

He wears customized, very highly modified Terminator armor (the first Mk I run) which has been updated dozens of times over the years.

Unlike Leng, Pellham rarely if ever uses stealth tactics. He is skilled at such but prefers to draw attention. The most common reason for this is that an enemy focused on surviving the terrifying rain of death Pel is throwing has almost no chance of detecting Kai Leng approaching.

 _Specific Tactical Methods, Ground Combat:_

Long range: Will almost always engage at the longest ranges possible with heavy ordinance or sniper fire, to cover Kai Leng's approach or to decimate forces before they can get in range themselves. This fire is EXTREMELY accurate and will be heavy enough to outright kill even Shieldbreakers if he has enough time to setup – he has at least once setup ambushes utilizing deconstructed and hastily erected weapons from a cruiser.

Medium range: At medium ranges, Pel engages in cover and maneuver fire, mixing in burst fire with strikes of heavy ordinance. He likes to draw attackers into pursuit, allowing him to lay mines, traps and other explosives to destroy cover and make enemies attempt to close range. Once at the shorter aspects of mid-range they will be forced to endure extremely accurate burst fire and grenades.

Short range: Pel has noted weaknesses at short range, as most of his armament is as harmful to him as to the enemy in close. He is proficient but not outstanding at CQB – however, he is also good at drawing enemies into that range and allowing Leng to dispose of them from stealth.

Warning Advisory: Reports cannot convey the sheer weight of firepower Pel likes to throw at enemies, or how accurate it is. He is capable of headshots with a lance cannon at well over a thousand stanlengths, and can maintain pinpoint accuracy with long bursts out to five times the engagement radius of most battle rifles. His use of explosive or exotic ammo, along with hammer-field rounds, means opponents that cannot find durable cover will not be able to close to engage.

Per standing order 9954-thurta-seven, STG units engaging Theo Pellham are to flee on sight and request Shieldbreaker assistance.

* * *

 **Physical Abilities:**

Theo Pellham is 38% cybernetic, including one arm, spine, ribcage, heart, and portions of both legs. He also has subdermal armor plating over his torso, shins, and titanium armor insert plates in his skull.

Despite his age he retains a great amount of physical strength, exceeding N7 physical requirements by quite a bit given his age. He has vast amounts of stamina and legendary pain resistance, and will shrug off even near-lethal wounds with single minded focus to kill his enemies. Despite his bulk and muscularity, he is extremely agile (if not fast) and surprisingly handy with a turian omni-axe in close range.

He is not a martial artist but is an experienced, dirty street brawler. CQB is … not recommended.

He is also a very skilled driver, both of conventional ground vehicles and aircars.

* * *

 **Mental and Psychological Notes:**

Pellham's IQ per his Alliance records was a staggering 166, near genius in human terms. Despite this, his lack of formal education and brutality gives him the aura of a common thug – a misperception he encourages, as it has caused many to underestimate him.

He is an indirect, circular thinker, who focuses on details and not direction. He obfuscates most of what he is really thinking with gross antics and blunt statements, while carefully observing those around him for clues to use. Emotional and highly competitive, he is somewhat less than professional when truly angered, but has a good grasp on his emotions.

Pel is neither strategic nor tactical, but prefers to engage enemies based on perceived threat and, amusingly, ability to talk 'trash'. He can be baited if presented with a challenging opponent but he rarely falls for such when it is a trap.

Pel is extremely familiar with turian psychology, battle tactics, and culture. His distaste of them is muted by resentful admiration for some turian aspects, something he appears to suppress quite savagely. SA records indicate he had an emotionally compromising relationship with a turian female while engaged in the SA diplomatic program REACHBACK, but details remain sketchy at this time.

Pel has not and apparently will not deploy in combat operations against the turian Hierarchy. This may be related to the above. With other aliens he is a mix of dismissive and uncaring.

Pel displays normal fear responses, but is very good at concealing such.

Psychologically, Pellham is simple. He has simple goals and simple pleasures and does not deviate from such to fit anyone else's perceptions. Despite his complex mental state, his psychology is mostly muted resentment and a feeling he is entitled to 'better'.

He is crude and violent, sexist and often openly abusive verbally, but can downplay such, even to appear charming or somewhat shy. He has a barbed sense of humor (though not quite so sharp as Kai Leng) and a penchant for practical jokes.

Pel remains a hyperpatriot in terms of thinking humanity should lead the galaxy, but has soured on the Systems Alliance, calling them 'sick' and 'a bunch of old men'. He still admires the Commissars. He is not exactly a family man but has made sure every one of his illegitimate children was always well-fed, cared for and had access to proper education and healthcare. He reacts with EXTREME violence to threats to his children.

Pel is highly sexually active but does not consider his partners anything but 'fun'. He has never had any sort of long term relationship with a female. Modelling suggests the turian female he spent a long amount of time with might have fit into this model and his rejection of this internally amplified his racism.

* * *

 **Political and Social Notes:**

Pel was highly active in politics as a low-level ward organizer for Earth First until his faked death. Since then he has not participated but there is little chance his views have shifted.

* * *

 **Warnings:**

The following advisories are considered mandatory reading.

 **Long Range combat should be only undertaken from surprise:** Unless a unit is heavily dug in with kinetic fortifications, getting into a shooting match with this walking armory is ill advised in the extreme.


	2. Addenda

**A/N:** _Kai and Pel beat me up and made me write this._

* * *

Pel sighed as he watched Minsta rant, only pausing ever so often to make some particularly hysterical point that, of all the fucking people, Trellani would nod sagely at. In Pel's opinion, when the mincing racist guy who wouldn't be out of place in William's old clusterfucked labs agreed with the batshit insane asari lady who literally BBQ'd a member of the Thirty and kept a recording of the shit, it was time to carefully back away and find a really secure bunker.

Course, the Bossman was looking at them like they were some shit on the edge of his shoe, so he figured it was handled. He rolled his tongue around the tip of his cigar, spitting out a loose piece of tobacco as he took another drag, and glanced to his right, where Kai Leng leaned against the wall, examining the edge of his sword. "Minsta is straight tripping. Been shook up all week. What you think is goin' on?"

The swordsman gave the very tiniest hint of what only a salarian could call a smile. "I think the doctor is being exposed to the reality of the shadows. Pity the fool has not drawn the same inferences in regards to humans themselves."

Pel could only nod sourly at that. The Dog was something that had to be around. You certainly couldn't trust the fucking SA to get shit right – the way they'd fucked up OPW, turning it into some goddamned alien fellating dog-and-pony show to get alien tech instead of using the opportunity to learn about aliens for real, had soured him even back in the days before Rachel had tapped him to join Cerberus.

The turians weren't people you could afford to fuck around with and be expected to get taken seriously. The Deathwatch was proof of that. That didn't mean the spikes were any less likely to turn on you even if they did think you were a threat, only that there would be an edge of respect rather than sneering disdain when they did it and they might – maybe – leave a few of alive when they got done skullfucking you.

He puffed again on the cigar. He was exhausted – the tempo of ops to keep the Broker's people confused and at bay was hard, he wasn't getting any younger, and he still felt off from the ass-whipping he'd taken at Omega. The idea that a goddamned bird had literally god-stomped the shit out of everyone there sat poorly with him.

He grunted. "You done any looking for that Tetrimus clown?"

Kai put his sword away, his voice taking an edge of anger that no one but Pel would have picked up. "I have. So far, he rarely acts directly – a sensible precaution, given the Hierarchy's antipathy for him. But he is too important to the Broker to hide forever. I will eventually find him and … demonstrate my displeasure with him more directly."

The Asian man's gaze sourly shifted to the left, and the towering wall of muscle and hate that was Randal Ezno. "Although I am given to understand other assets may be employed in countering him."

Pel snorted. "Man, fuck that guy. It's gonna take more than killing a dusted-up krogan and some of Rachel's Iron boys to make me think Ezno is ready to roll in the big leagues." He rolled his shoulder. "Then again, if he wants to be big shit, maybe we should let him, y'know? I could use a little down time."

Leng was checking his knives. "You mean you could waste time attempting to complete your collection of sexually transmitted diseases and planets you have been banned from? Or are you chasing some sort of universal record for how much child support you pay?"

Pel laughed. "Ain't my fault you don't get laid. I got mine. You wanna be some kind of celebate bastard because of Kae, you go right ahead – more for me." He paused, blowing out smoke. "But speaking of kids … ain't seen Jhal in a minute. He okay?"

Kai Leng's face tightened, a curious expression almost looking like frustration. "...for certain values. He is resistant to the concept that people are not permanent, not … worth trusting." His voice edged into a louder whisper. "I cannot make him see what I have seen."

Pel bit back a sigh. "Okay, man. You know the score. As dads go, I figure both you and I are probably shit. Best we can do is keep the kind of shit we went through as kids out of our own kids lives. You can't teach 'em what we've seen until they see it – and god damn, do you want him to be like us?"

Kai calmly put the knife he was checking back into it's place, but his voice was icy. "I will never allow him to endure what I have. But that is not the same as insuring he absorbs the lessons I have obtained the hard way. He is being willfully blind."

Pel scratched his head. "...okay, I'll bite. How?"

The assassin turned to the gunman, his expression unamused. "He wishes to get … engaged .. to this woman he has been seeing."

Pel rocked back on his heels. "Kid is what...fuck? Twenty two now? How long he been dating this chick?"

Kai gave him a tilt of the head. "Six years. That is of no moment, given ..." He trailed off, and Pel shook his head.

"Far be it from me to talk some shit about lifestyle choices, but on this … not every woman is Kahlee, you know. But getting hurt is part of growing up. Skinned knee won't kill a kid, but it makes him a bit more cautious. If she screws him over, he'll listen to you more – and if she doesn't then good on him for finding a bitch who ain't gonna bail when shit starts going hard."

Kai faced him fully. "Even you are not stupid enough to believe he won't be betrayed."

Pel shrugged, gesturing at Trellani. "I could mention Rachel never did that shit to Saracino. I could mention Trelly's been with the Bossman for more than a minute now. Hell, you know full well Brooks double-crosses EVERYTHING, evil bitch, but she would cut her own throat before turning on Rasa."

He puffed on his cigar, blowing blueish smoke, as Minsta finished whatever report he was making. "Shit just ain't that serious. It's just a bitch. Let the boy do what he wants."

Leng said nothing for long seconds. "No doubt you think the issue minor. No doubt, Kahlee thought the same. Look where we are now."

Pel shook his head, running his hand across his scalp – damn, he needed to shave again. "No, Kahlee was full of _shit_ , and David right there along with her. But flip it around, you were with her mostly to hurt David anyway, back in the day. _That_ it turned into something else … look man, that's on you. Taking sides in that argument was easy for me, because you were the one being hurt..."

Kai's lips twisted into a sneer. "Your devotion to 'friendship' is touching."

Pel laughed. "Man, fuck you. This is bro code we're talking about here, not friendship."

Despite his anger and frustration, Leng's expression shifted every so slightly from disdain to actual amusement. "I must question my sanity for bothering to ask, but … did you actually imply you pulled me out of that mess due to a 'bro code'?"

Pel nodded. "Two grown ass men, fighting to the death, over a single chick in the middle of a titty bar? That shit is a major code violation. Kahlee made you two stupid." He puffed on his cigar. "I ain't saying she didn't have a fine ass on her and legs that didn't' stop...but no bitch is worth the shit ya'll were throwing."

Leng's jaw tightened but he nodded. "Which is what I fear for Jhal. Not that he will be 'hurt'. Emotional pain is fuel for what one pursues. I fear he will be lead astray, that he will become influenced in ways that I cannot accept – that will lead him away from me."

The voice, for a split second, held a ragged edge of pain and fear. "He is all I have left. To lose that as wll..."

Pel shrugged, although hesitantly. His own private nightmare was Jhal getting killed in some accident and Kai Leng losing his shit completely and trying to stab fucking _everybody_. "It's not like he's banging asari. You at least drilled that into his head – blue is for the toilet bowl, not your dick."

Leng gave a rusty chuckle. "Perhaps. Then again, there are other attractions...say, a turian girl?"

Pel's own jaw set. "What I did was dumb, but I ain't the one who made that situation go south." His voice dropped into a cold register. "And whatever happens to your kid, Kai, if it ain't what you wanted, can you blame him? Or is it your fault, fucking about stabbing shit instead of raising him?"

"Are we discussing personal failures, now, Pel? Yours is, I must admit, something to make mine look … rather short."

The black man took a deep breath, then drew heavily on his cigar. "Xheala and Kahlee were nothing alike, asshole."

Kai's voice took on a vicious edge. "No? She didn't reach out to you when she had nothing, and let you build her back up, and risk being cashiered – or given to the Commissars – only to sleep around on you, double cross you, and leave you for dead?"

Pel looked away, and after a long moment, laughed weakly. "Lemme ask you something, then. Man to man." He took a deep breath. "If Kae was in trouble and Anderson no where to be fucking found, and you were the only one who could save her.. would you?"

Leng's face turned into a hateful sneer. "You need to ask? I might order up a recording of her screams."

Pel nodded slowly, puffing on the cigar. "I...goddamn man...if Exy called me I don't know what the fuck I would do. I don't take jobs against the Spikes for the same reason you keep outta shit involving David and Kae."

Kai Leng said nothing for a long, quiet moment, then his expression became almost – almost – sad. "I find it … ironic … that what draws out what is left of your humanity is a turian female."

Pel's voice was bitter. "I find it ironic that you ain't gone batshit and played Will It Blend with the galaxy cuz of a kid you originally didn't want."

The pain in his voice radiated, and Kai Leng gave a sigh. When he spoke, it was almost unwilling, but with the tiniest edge of humor. "...I despise myself for saying this..."

Pel turned to face him.

"...but I believe your … bro code … would require me to point out that Kae was much better looking than a femspike. You are a lesser … bro."

Pel looked at him in incredulity for several seconds before cracking up.


	3. On Swords and Peas

**A/N:** _One more piece. The first part is just after the mission to save the Primarch was done. The second part is, of course, after the Reaper War.  
_

* * *

Kai Leng glanced sourly at the television mounted on the wall of his flat, as he absently held his son Jhal in his arm, even while he kept an eye on the food processor unit. He didn't trust the machine's recommendations for foods good for an eighteen-month old to eat, but the information from SA-11, Public Service, on children seemed to agree.

With a long suffering sigh, he turned it off with his free hand. Jhal gurgled quietly, then grasped at his shirt tightly. "Dada?"

Despite himself, Leng felt his mouth curl into a smile as he gazed at his son. He lifted him up, stepping around the corner of the eating area of the flat, and sat down on the black sectional couch in the living room, placing the boy before him. "Yes."

Jhal's eyes wandered, eventually coming to light on the gleaming form of his mono-molecular sword, Silence, mounted on the wall (behind a triple-redundancy kinetic barrier). "Whadaa?"

Again, his lips quirked. "Are you asking for water, or about the blade?" He watched Jhal's head turn towards him in perplexity, the soft black hair waving gently as the boy waved his tiny fists in the air in the general direction of the wall.

"Wha daa...dat?"

Leaning back a bit (and letting his son rest more comfortably against his chest) he gazed at the blade on the wall himself. There were times he wondered, perhaps not without reason, if he was some kind of what Pel would call a 'nutcase'. Part of him knew he was.

He'd lost his family to 'rebels' in his youth, along with most of his extended family. A fifteen old boy shouldn't have to murder to eat, shouldn't have to sell his body to afford to finish school, shouldn't have to lie about his age to get into the military for no other reason than a place to live and food.

That he had been damaged by such events could not be denied. The only relationship he'd ever pursued or wanted had fallen apart on him, due to the ugly fact that he thought he'd found someone he could trust, and it turned out he couldn't, even when she'd given birth to his child.

He glanced at the blade again, before gently kissing his son on the forehead. "That is Silence. It cuts. It protects. It ends the lives of those who don't even know why, and those who do. It is a weapon, much like me."

The solemn, quiet nature of his voice always seemed to calm Jhal when he got rambunctious, but the tiny boy frowned. "Dada sad."

Leng looked his son in the eyes, those eyes that had not been blasted by privation, horror, a war that nearly ended humanity, and walking in on his wife fucking someone else in his own home. With a small smile, he stood, lifting Jhal once more and placing him in the eating chair as the food processor beeped smugly.

"I am sad, but I am also happy I have you." He moved away, pouring the gloopy looking contents of the food processing station's output into a small bowl, glancing at the settings as he did so. "Green peas and carrots." He shook his head, placing the bowl in front of his child.

Jhal had – after months of disastrous splatters – managed to conquer the use of the spoon. However, he was still in the process of learning to eat solids by himself. The developmental notebooks and programming he watched seemed to indicate he would be able to handle such foods on his own soon, but he distrusted them – Jhal was much smarter than the average wretched thing produced by humanity, after all.

Now he watched his son carefully pick up the spoon and dip it awkwardly into the mixed, finely diced up peas and carrots. The boy chewed thoughtfully for several seconds before making a face. "Yuk."

Leng was somehow successful in not bursting into laughter, mostly due to the front door sensor going off. "Visitor request: Pel" printed neatly on his omni-tool, and Kai sighed. Rather than take his eyes off his son, he instead remotely opened the front door.

The over-sized, crude walking abomination known as Pel wandered into the kitchen/eating area. Dressed in dark black combat coveralls with a silvery jacket over them, the faint sheen of sweat on his bald pate told Kai he'd probably walked rather than take an aircar taxi. "Wassup, slant-eye?"

Leng gave him a placid glance. "I did plan on teaching Jhal about the blade, but unless you want me to start early, don't call me slant-eye, you insipid hunk of steroidal human grown hormone."

Pel grinned, white teeth bright against his dark skin, and turned to Jhal. "And whatchu up to today, little man? What you eating?"

Jhal nodded, then shook his head. "Yuk. Wan chocat."

Pel snorted back laughter. "Boy's got his priorities straight."

Leng shook his head sourly and directed a stern glance at Jhal, pointing. "Finish your food. Then we will see."

Jhal's tiny features crumbled. "See yuk." His listless motions of eating sent Pel into doubled over laughter.

Kai's voice was dry. "When you are done amusing yourself at my expense, is there a reason you are over here?"

Pel leaned against the wall. "See, if you were a bro instead of a ninja robot, I'd say we could go catch a few brews and the Pats vs. Cowboys game."

Leng sighed. "Aside from the fact that I rarely drink, at what point did you forget that would entail leaving a small child in an apartment by himself, or did it even enter your no doubt spotlessly empty brain at any point in time?"

Pel made a production of rubbing his chin. "Could bring him with. You know, expose him to the wonders of waitresses at the Edge."

If anything, Leng's expression got harder. "Ah, yes. I believe you spoke of this before, female adoration of small children being some kind of tool you use in your ceaseless quest to completely ruin your body with a complete set of all possible venereal diseases." He felt his lips quirk. "Including turian?"

Pel hissed, and Leng let himself laugh softly, even as he paid most of his attention to Jhal. A moment later, Pel's voice lanced out, more serious. "To be honest? I just got off the horn with the Bossman. He needed some work done, but I told him I'd solo it. Tried to get him to agree not to call you up while I was out putting bullets in people...ain't a lot of people you can call to watch Jhal if you go active."

Leng nodded. "There is that. The thought of leaving my child in the tender clutches of Rasa, or God help me, Brooks, is enough to even make me quail."

Pel shook his head. "I wouldn't leave a godd-..." he trailed off, smothering the profanity. "...wouldn't leave a salarian kid with Brooks, much less a human one. I got damage, you got damage, heck the Bossman has damage, but that chick is NOT firing on all cylinders."

Leng nodded at that. "There may be something to be said about the ugly backgrounds of those of us who choose Cerberus. Certainly I did not expect to be doing this two years ago, no matter how logical Rachel's words were at the time."

He sighed. "I wonder..."

Pel grimaced. "Yeah, well, I wonder too. I wonder if Exy hadn't pulled the crap that nearly got me killed if I'd be in the Dog myself. God knows if Kahlee hadn't acted a fool you probably could have just lived your life, you know."

Leng closed his eyes in silent agony. "I know all too well."

Pel was silent a few seconds before coughing. "...sorry, man. Didn't mean to take it there."

Jhal's voice pierced his personal darkness. "Dada sad noo boo."

He opened his eyes, seeing that his son had finished his meal... albeit with a third of it on the tray, floor, or himself. Yet he smiled nonetheless. As he bent to pick up his son – he'd have to change that shirt immediately – he glanced over at Pel.

"For all the harm she has done to me, I have that which makes living worthwhile. I end lives. I am the blade. And yet, I can be _more_."

Pel's dark eyes met his, then the bigger man shrugged. "Got enough kids of my own I know that's the God's Own Truth." A grin broke the grim set of his face. "Go on and get him changed up, I'll wipe up the mess, man. Least he didn't throw the bowl at you like one of mine did."

Leng's voice was soft but petulant. "Last week he used a spoon to hurl peas at me." He took his son through the entry to the bedroom, and Pel shook his head quietly.

O-STG-O

Jhal Leng knelt at the simple grave, willing himself to keep his emotions in check and his eyes dry. It was hard to do, even with his wife holding his shoulder, pressing to let him know she was there.

His father had not, he knew, been a 'good' man. He was, in the eyes of many, a murderer. An assassin. A man who turned his back on the Systems Alliance and acted in the service of a group that did many a vile act.

Kai Leng was a weapon, and did not have enough care who wielded him to not come to bad ends, and yet had died saving aliens. He'd died when he could have lived, and the only thing that Jhal could cling to was the fact that he'd certainly not died unavenged.

He placed the flowers into the receptacle next to the grave, then stood slowly. His wife wrapped her arms around him, and he nodded, feeling the wind play over his features. His voice felt shaky and rough, but he spoke all the same.

"Hey, Dad. Guess it's silly doing this, knowing you never believed in anything coming after. But I guess... it's more for me than you." He paused. "We had our second child last month, and I am... happy. Life is calm. Lots of other things going wrong in the Galaxy, but Shepard doesn't even take shit from Leviathans, much less normal people. We'll get through it."

He bowed his head. "I finally met my half brother. Funny how different we look, but both have the same mouth." He trailed off, and took a deep breath. "I miss you, Dad."

With a final exhalation, he nodded, and turned away, his wife holding his hand and following. As his shadow moved away from the gravestone, it illuminated the simple brass plate set there.

KAI ALLARD LENG

DIED 2187

LIVES IN THE MEMORIES OF THOSE HE SAVED

REDEMPTION IS THE REFUSAL OF WHAT IS EASY FOR WHAT IS RIGHT


End file.
